Saturday, May 10, 2008

Open Allegiance?

From the "could they possibly be more stupid" department . . .

The New York Times is reporting . . .

E-Mail Shows Racial Jokes by Secret Service Supervisors
By DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: May 10, 2008

WASHINGTON — Secret Service supervisors shared crude sexual jokes and engaged in racially derogatory banter about blacks, and passed around an anecdote about a possible assassination of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, according to internal e-mail disclosed in a federal court filing on Friday by lawyers for black Secret Service agents.

The filing includes 10 e-mail messages that were among documents the agency recently turned over to lawyers for the black agents as part of an increasingly bitter discrimination lawsuit. The messages were written mainly from 2003 through 2005, and were sent to and from e-mail accounts of at least 20 Secret Service supervisors.
The messages offer a glimpse into the darker recesses of an agency known for protecting presidents and other dignitaries but whose culture is regarded as one of the most insular in federal law enforcement.

Evidently intelligence is not a pre-requisite for "taking a bullet for the primary" . . . if in fact they are really willing to do that? Perhaps a more dependable Security Team should be assembled? Like the Hell's Angels.

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Open box of trash

Clay, who is evidently a Peace Corp volunteer...

One of the most satisfying things I do each week is burn my trash. Or more specifically, watch it burn. I do this for two reasons, the first being that I like to. The second is that, if I don't, small children passing my house on the way to school will see what to them is a fresh bag of goodies and peruse through it. They will, without a doubt, be sure to taste everything they find. Jettisoned packets of velveeta-like Vache Qui Rit cheese will be licked clean, just like what I thought were empty tomato paste cans. I find the whole thing kind of ...

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Open Press, best we could hope for...

Exit Polls: Limbaugh Effect Seems To Rear Its Head
Did Rush Limbaugh actually impact the Democratic primary?
The loud-mouthed radio talk show host has been encouraging Republicans to vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton to continue the "chaos" in the Democratic race. And a sampling of some key exit poll information suggests he may, to a certain extent, be having an effect.

Thirty-six percent of primary voters said that Clinton does not share their values. And yet, among that total, one out of every five (20 percent) nevertheless voted for her in the Indiana election. Moreover, of the 10 percent of Hoosiers who said "neither candidate" shared their values, 75 percent cast their ballots for Clinton.

This is the best possible press that Barack Obama could ever receive. Having Rush associated with Hillary clearly sets the tone for what is to follow. Rush is afraid of Barack - and for good reason.

Barack Obama, bringing integrity to politics will certainly put a damper on the "Rush Mouth". Soon, I hope!

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Open Salutation

Hey! Hi and howdy dowdy!

Need I say more?

(Pic thanks to AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Open Dishes

From the China Herald :

Monday, May 05, 2008

Now we have Pi Dan Congee at KFC!

The Golden China Brands blog has found the most excellent way to attract my attention, well, there are a few more, but food is certainly doing the trick. An excellent story on how KFC, Pizza Hut under their mothership Yum! Brands have introduced new local dishes in China. After being attracted by the good-looking Pi Dan congee at KFC, I actually was literally drawn into their story.
They are already wildly successful with 2,200 outlets (competitor McDonalds is not even coming close) and started now to introduce some very localized dishes.
Yum’s China business is so successful that CEO Novak is now copying the China model to the United States by introducing healthier products in its US outlets, increasing emphasis on breakfast and evening sales and broader menus that include more desserts and beverages. “Let’s learn from our most successful business. Let’s learn from our China Business”, Novak told investors at Yum’s annual shareholder conference in New York.

[Added 5/7/8 - Note the observation... "As America is facing recession, there is no one better than Colonel Sanders to save the country . . ." Oh yeah!]

食品 - Yummy Yum! China’s Fast Food to Save America

By GCB_China ⋅ Mai 5, 2008 ⋅ Email this post ⋅ Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

As America is facing recession, there is no one better than Colonel Sanders to save the country by offering Pi Dan Congee, egg tarts, Dragon Twisters as ‘menu novelties’ in its over 2,200 China KFC outlets. Yum! Brands Inc, owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut brands, is creating an expansion drive in China that could make the country its biggest source of profit within a decade.

Yum! Brands has realized very early on that it can’t rely on a foreign brand name for growth and must instead adapt to local tastes and lifestyles. “We felt that we could not just copy a model in a foreign country,” Sam Su, the Taiwan-born, US-educated head of Yum’s China division, told a forum in Shanghai late last year. “In a market like China, everyone should try to create new models.”

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Monday, May 05, 2008

Open Loving

Mildred Loving and her husband Richard P Loving are shown in ...

Mildred Loving, matriarch of interracial marriage, dies

By DIONNE WALKER, Associated Press Writer Mon May 5, 11:25 AM ET

RICHMOND, Va. - Mildred Loving, a black woman whose challenge to Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws nationwide, has died, her daughter said Monday.

Peggy Fortune said Loving, 68, died Friday at her home in rural Milford. She did not disclose the cause of death.

"I want (people) to remember her as being strong and brave yet humble — and believed in love," Fortune told The Associated Press.

Loving and her white husband, Richard, changed history in 1967 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld their right to marry. The ruling struck down laws banning racially mixed marriages in at least 17 states.

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Sunday, May 04, 2008

Open Mmmmmmeme

Just MeMe … And YouYou … Part 2 5:37 AM (1 minute ago)
from nobody asked... by Winston

That is how it appeared in my RSS reader this morning... so here goes.

10 Years ago I . . .

. . . bought a big old fat book entitled Slackware Linux and my computing life changed forever. Yesterday was spent loading Slackware v12 on this laptop that I am typing on now.

5 Things on today's To-Do list . . .

Finish mowing the lawn - rained out yesterday
Telephone a friend (Note to self: must find a friend.)
Finish this d*mned post.
haiku
Rehearsal - Cell (Mystery Writers Festival, Owensboro, KY)

What I would do as a billionaire . . .

After taking care of the usual things (bills, college x 3, bills, more bills, etc.) I would set up a trust to manage the rest of the money and I would HIDE. I would be the next guy in line at the grocery store buying milk and a loaf of bread. I would ride shotgun in a dependable beater with an equally nondescript person who would be my driver (My only real luxury - I really hate to drive.) The simply appointed (spartan) one-story ranch house would be set just far enough apart so the neighbors wouldn't need good fences. (Ironically, I would be able to hire someone to deal with all the worldly ~~crap~~ possessions I have now and can't get rid of.)

3 Bad habits . . . In addition to a multitude of your run-of-the-mill dietary, toxins, stresses, parenting bad habits...

I don't hesitate to lay on the horn when I think someone is driving stupid!
I have a bias against really obese people.
I never lie. Or, I always tell the truth. (Your choice.)

5 Places I have lived . . .

Kodiak Island, Alaska
East Lansing, Michigan
Guadalajara, Mexico
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Philpot, Kentucky

5 Jobs I have had . . .

Backyard Electrician - Circus Kirk, Harrisburg PA
Evening Announcer - WKLA AM & FM, Ludington MI
Set Designer/Tech Director, Freelance
Emergency Medical Technician, Instructor/Coordinator
Permanent Substitute Teacher, Lansing MI

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Saturday, May 03, 2008

Open End of an Era

Thailand Bids Farewell to the Telegraph

Speaking of things slipping into extinction, Thailand has now discontinued use of its telegraph service.

Bangkok Post: “Telegraph service closes after 133 years”

After 133 years, the curtain came down on the telegraph service yesterday in a ceremony which saw several thousand people bid it farewell.

”The last chapter of 133 years of the Thai telegraph will be in the memory of Thais forever,” was the last message sent by telegraph, by Information and Communications Technology Minister Mun Patanotai from the General Post Office.

It was sent to 40,000 people who had reserved a final telegram, according to the Thai News Agency.

On the final day parents, teenagers, the elderly and first-time users packed the headquarters of Thailand Post Plc in Bang Rak district, waiting for hours to send final telegrams to friends, family and loved ones, and to buy souvenirs.

The number of telegrams sent across the country in the final week of the service, which began 133 years ago with a morse key and ended with the teleprinter, rose to 50,000 _ the total usually sent in six months.

The public enthusiasm was overwhelming, said Wiboon Sereechaiporn, assistant vice-president of the corporate and marketing communications department.

”It is in the character of Thais to often feel regret when things that once belonged to them leave them for good.” Among those turning up on the final day was Krisada Limthongtip, 28, who sent telegrams to his friends and family members.

”It is my first and last time for telegrams,” said Mr Krisada as his fingers constantly punched the keyboard of his smart phone.

”I don’t need to use it. I email and skype. But I came here today to soak up the [nostalgic] feeling,” he said.

Actor Supravat Pattamasuit was also at the General Post Office.

”It is a walk down memory lane and I feel nostalgic. I wish this service would remain. But the world changes,” said the 69-year-old, who sent his message saying ”Long Live the King” by telegraph to Chitralada Palace.

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Open Expression

Earlier this week the provocative Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe performed in Bahrain, but not before Bahrain's MPs protested and tried to ban her concert.

Mahmood gives us a taste of Haifa Wehbe's music in a vlog:

So sit back, relax, and watch what you will be missing if she decides not to bother with a little sand-pit called Bahrain because of a few neophytes’ deafening braying.

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Open Blessing

Emphasis mine...

Sami al-Haj is free !!!!!!!!!!!

By Paul R on Fri, 02/05/2008 - 10:42am

An al-Jazeera cameraman detained by American forces in Afghanistan was last night released after spending nearly six years imprisoned without charge at Guantánamo Bay.

Sami al-Haj, 39, was arrested on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan on December 15 2001, while on assignment to cover the war against the Taliban. Although he had a valid visa to work in Afghanistan, US intelligence alleged that he was an al-Qaida operative, and he was transferred to Guantánamo in June 2002.

Last night, his lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, said Haj was en route to his home in Sudan to be reunited with his wife and son. He said: "I'm very glad Sami has finally been released, but the question is why he wasn't freed many years ago."

The US military alleged that Haj had secretly interviewed Osama bin Laden, smuggled guns for al-Qaida and worked as a financial courier for Chechen rebels. But the evidence against him was never revealed, and he was never charged.

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Open Opinion: Rev. Wright Revisited.

Rev Chickens-Come-Home-To-Roost

Dave Winer mentioned that once again we have spent a week dealing with Rev. Wright... again... against Hillary McCain/John McClinton's Gas-tax Holiday ... what better way to attract public attention than put the right Rev. Wright up and let Senator Obama once and for all "refute and repudiate" him. Cheap at the price, no harm, no foul.

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Open Nostalgia: My first computer

Build Your Own Digicomp Mechanical Computer!

The Digicomp is a plastic mechanical computer from the 1960s. It offered three bits of tabletop computing, back in an age where corded telephones were considered high-tech. The machine arrived in kit form; your first task was to assemble the jumble of tubes, rods, and elastic bands into something that resembles a Jetson's parking garage. Once complete, it's a fantastic hands-on way to teach Boolean algebra and binary numbers.

I'm a bit too young to have enjoyed the Digicomp era, but enthusiast Larry Groebe explained the attraction of these clever toys to me, "Digicomp 1 in particular (the cheaper model) started a bunch of kids on a career in computers -- myself included. I got mine for Christmas in 1968 and took it to the 5th grade show and tell, where I tried to explain binary numbers to a deeply suspicious teacher and uncomprehending class." Larry went on to start the "Friends of Digicomp" on Yahoo Groups -- an excellent source of information about this nifty device.

And now for the best part... Group member Tim Walker has introduced an updated $49 version this cool little machine, in an era where classic Digicomps change hands on eBay for up to $100 a pop. Unlike the original, the new machine is manufactured from laser die-cut 80-point binders board. The box contains the necessary assortment of jig-formed steel rods; plus rubber bands, plastic tubes, and various odd-looking widgets. An attractive spiral-bound 48-page user guide contains illustrated assembly instructions plus over 30 hands-on experiments.

Digi-Comp I (v2.0) Mechanical Computer Kit
Posted by james on February 21, 2006 at 09:43 AM in Classic Computing, Games + Toys |

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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Open Poem: Amid warring cries

Amid warring cries for peace

we have heard the lullaby

and succumb to the dreamless sleep

rocked in the handmade cradle

of the eternal holocaust.

We drift a warm bed made

when half the world away

a mother cries, “My Sargent son

of only nineteen years is dead;

laid aside his hero father.”

To enter the maternal void

of wedding white she bespeaks

the seed of new cries, she carries

tears to his shroud, accepting

his honor within a folded flag.

There alone to join as one:

we have laughed and loved,

and now fought and died,

all in the name of freedom,

it's golden chariot to ride.

As the one, another yet becomes,

amid warring cries of peace

we drift a warm bed made

to enter the maternal void,

there alone to join as one,

as the one, another yet becomes,

rocked in the hand made cradle

of the eternal holocaust.

(Originally posted to 2Voices on Oct. 6, 2006)

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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Open Choice '08

John McClinton
or
Hillary McCain

OK, now you decide.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Open your eyes exam

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Open Malaise: Quid pro status quo

Hillary Clinton is advancing in her undermining of the Democratic process with a very simple message that resonates with Mr. & Mrs. Middle America:

"If you let me keep mine I won't try to take yours away from you."

"If you scratch my back I won't scratch your eyes out."

Quid pro status quo

Barack Obama is destine to lose the popular vote because he is willing to say that there are things wrong with this country. Things that need to be fixed.

Barack Obama is willing to say that in order to fix what is wrong with this country everyone will have to give up some of what they have.

Hillary "same-as-it-ever-was" Clinton is appealing to Democrats and Republicans alike to maintain the status quo - because things just aren't all that bad after all.

The truly sad part of the whole thing is that Mr. & Mrs. Middle America believes Hillary Clinton (and John McCain) is right ... for status quo America.

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